Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master Announced

[Tim Mayo]

Sony has just announced the FE 50mm F1.2 G Master lens. This isn't a cheap lens and will cost $1998.00 / £2,100 / €2,300 and be available from April in Europe and May in the US.

Visit the blog link for further details and a round-up of early reviews.

Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master Announced - Alpha Shooters

Sony has announced a new FE 50mm G Master lens with their widest aperture to date of f/1.2. There are also four ‘extreme dynamic’ linear motors that help to make this one of the fastest if not the fastest focussing 50mm lens you can buy today. The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens certainly isn’t …

www.alphashooters.com

 

[Reciprocum]

Sony UK says "available in April"

Sony Strengthens its Alpha System with the Introduction of its 60th E-Mount Lens, FE 50mm F1.2 G Master™

Sony’s newest lens delivers Superb Resolution, Exquisite Bokeh and High-performance Autofocus in a Compact and Lightweight DesignToday, Sony unveils the...

presscentre.sony.co.uk

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/camera-lenses/sel50f12gm

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Hefty price tag. Must be aimed at the A1 and FX6 crowd...

 

[Tim Mayo]

Sony UK says "available in April"

Thanks Afonso. I've updated it.

 

[Reciprocum]

Hefty price tag. Must be aimed at the A1 and FX6 crowd...

None of the above (yet...) but definitely waiting for it to show up on e-Infinity under 2.000eur before Christmas.
My current 55mm f1.8 has too much CA, Zeiss 50mm has slow AF-performance, so will any future Sigma 50mm DG DN Art (judging from my 85mm Sigma f1.4 DG DN Art that has 50% the AF performance of my previous Sony 85mm F1.8)

 

[Janice]

I have the a6600 is this new lens worth saving for to put on my crop sensor? I don't have a 50 or 85 lens yet and was looking into getting one. Should I hold out and save for the new Sony 50mm 1.2 or invest in something else? Any advice is appreciated. I'm a hobbyist who enjoys wildlife shots, landscapes, travel, and candid family captures.

 

[Antonio Correia]

Ordered !

 

[Tim Mayo]

I have the a6600 is this new lens worth saving for to put on my crop sensor? I don't have a 50 or 85 lens yet and was looking into getting one. Should I hold out and save for the new Sony 50mm 1.2 or invest in something else? Any advice is appreciated. I'm a hobbyist who enjoys wildlife shots, landscapes, travel, and candid family captures.

If you are only using it on the a6600 then personally I wouldn't purchase this lens at this price. I'd go with Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary instead which is an APS-C lens.

 

[Reciprocum]

I have the a6600 is this new lens worth saving for to put on my crop sensor? I don't have a 50 or 85 lens yet and was looking into getting one. Should I hold out and save for the new Sony 50mm 1.2 or invest in something else? Any advice is appreciated. I'm a hobbyist who enjoys wildlife shots, landscapes, travel, and candid family captures.

Only if your long-term plan is to migrate to FF bodies.
The more you invest in APS-C only lenses the harder it will be to do the FF step/swich.
If you enjoy the portability of your A6600 setup, consider the A7C as a similar sized FF body, with the upcoming compact f2.5 FF FE lenses for travel, SEL85F18 for portrait work (the best value for money in Sony's FF FE lens line-up), then you can slowly invest in some high-grade FF FE prime glass (my suggestion: start with the 135mm GM) until you can get a more solid FF body (A7C with it's max 1/4000 shutter speed will limit you options with fast glass with bright outdoors forcing you either to stop-down (wasting that background blurring of a fast prime) or to use inconvenient ND filters.

 

[Janice]

Only if your long-term plan is to migrate to FF bodies.
The more you invest in APS-C only lenses the harder it will be to do the FF step/swich.
If you enjoy the portability of your A6600 setup, consider the A7C as a similar sized FF body, with the upcoming compact f2.5 FF FE lenses for travel, SEL85F18 for portrait work (the best value for money in Sony's FF FE lens line-up), then you can slowly invest in some high-grade FF FE prime glass (my suggestion: start with the 135mm GM) until you can get a more solid FF body (A7C with it's max 1/4000 shutter speed will limit you options with fast glass with bright outdoors forcing you either to stop-down (wasting that background blurring of a fast prime) or to use inconvenient ND filters.

Thank you for this information. Much to think about. Since my a6600 is very new to me, I won't be investing in any additional bodies any time soon. I chose the a6600 for travel rather than the a7iii. Once I added the 70-350mm onto the a7iii I knew I wanted the a6600 for the weight factor. I'm thinking investing in lenses that would work for FF as well as on my crop because somewhere down the line, I may go FF and then I don't have to purchase new glass again.

 

[Reciprocum]

Thank you for this information. Much to think about. Since my a6600 is very new to me, I won't be investing in any additional bodies any time soon. I chose the a6600 for travel rather than the a7iii. Once I added the 70-350mm onto the a7iii I knew I wanted the a6600 for the weight factor. I'm thinking investing in lenses that would work for FF as well as on my crop because somewhere down the line, I may go FF and then I don't have to purchase new glass again.

Be welcome. Your FF lens long term strategy makes total sense but in practice will translate into a less portable/balanced combo, especially if you start buying fast FF glass like the 50mm f1.2. I would not go beyond f1.8 FF FE glass to pair with an A6600. SEL55F18 would be my FF FE pick to get 80ish focal distance on an A6600 without compromising too much on portability and still be a very good lens for a future FF body.
One more thing: from my past experience with crop bodies (2 years with m43 body and lenses wich served me very well for traveling but very very bad for available light indoor shooting) I concluded that, if one aspires to evolve (5 year) to FF is best if you aim straight at the top (of your financial possibilities) and skip crop altogether. Especially valid if you plan to try on setting up any kind of small home-studio as the slow 1/160 x-sync speed of all APS-C bodies forces you to have a quite darkened room (to kill the ambient light that the 1/160 did not kill) and then you begin having trouble acquiring focus, have to start using the strobe’s modeling lights Wich, if you are using battery operated strobes also eats into your shots per charge budget, etc.

In my opinion, Sony releasing these new compact FF FE f2.5 lenses is one more sign (toguether with the A7C body) that they don’t have any APS-C plans whatsoever for the future (I might be very wrong here ...)

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[Janice]

Be welcome. Your FF lens long term strategy makes total sense but in practice will translate into a less portable/balanced combo, especially if you start buying fast FF glass like the 50mm f1.2. I would not go beyond f1.8 FF FE glass to pair with an A6600. SEL55F18 would be my FF FE pick to get 80ish focal distance on an A6600 without compromising too much on portability and still be a very good lens for a future FF body.
One more thing: from my past experience with crop bodies (2 years with m43 body and lenses wich served me very well for traveling but very very bad for available light indoor shooting) I concluded that, if one aspires to evolve (5 year) to FF is best if you aim straight at the top (of your financial possibilities) and skip crop altogether. Especially valid if you plan to try on setting up any kind of small home-studio as the slow 1/160 x-sync speed of all APS-C bodies forces you to have a quite darkened room (to kill the ambient light that the 1/160 did not kill) and then you begin having trouble acquiring focus, have to start using the strobe’s modeling lights Wich, if you are using battery operated strobes also eats into your shots per charge budget, etc.

In my opinion, Sony releasing these new compact FF FE f2.5 lenses is one more sign (toguether with the A7C body) that they don’t have any APS-C plans whatsoever for the future (I might be very wrong here ...)

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. While I may be going Full Frame in the future, it most likely will not be for quite some time yet. I *just* invested in the a6600 body and I haven't even figured out all the menus and options yet. Therefore there are zero thoughts of moving to full-frame any time soon. I am a hobbyist with no aspirations of turning professional. I don't need to print anything more than 11x14 at max so not having the larger sensor hasn't hurt my ability to capture what I want.
Having said that though, you don't know what you don't know until you try it. So maybe somewhere down the line I'll rent a full-frame and give it a whirl to see if I really AM missing more of what I want to capture in my shots.
I am in the market for a lens that will have a lower f/stop than I currently do have for those lower light shots. I do own a Godoxx Speedlite but it's a pain to use so I try to avoid having to do so.
Am confused if I should go with the 50mm 1.2, the 50 1.4, the 85mm 1.2, or the 24-70 (not sure which f/stops it comes in haven't researched that one much).

 

[Reciprocum]

...
Am confused if I should go with the 50mm 1.2, the 50 1.4, the 85mm 1.2, or the 24-70 (not sure which f/stops it comes in haven't researched that one much).

Remember that, even if you go for the brightest 50mm f1.2, since the image circle of an FF lens is significantly bigger than an APS-C sensor, some of that light gathering power will still be wasted because some of the gathered light is falling outside the APS-C sensor, you will also only have/benefit an/of f.18 equivalent DOF.

 

[garuda]

Having some interest in this new 50, after all it's a GM. I did some research. Until viewing the DP Review on this 50mm, I noticed what I would assume is some kind of an anomaly during the DP video. Are my eyes failing me? So I screen captured a frame. Am I wrong in my illustration here? Any thoughts?

DP Review video

 

[Reciprocum]

Barely honouring the "Available in April" promise, a single unit was delivered yesterday to the biggest Sony retailer in the Capital Lisbon.
I was the lucky one that got the call (perks of being a recent A1 + 200-600 + 35F14GM customer ?)
Feels heavy but not too heavy, big but not too big (might not fit in the slot reserved for the 55F18Z in my bag ...). With A1's ergonomics it will be comfortable to shoot for a few hours, on the 7M3 I have my doubts the feeling will be the same (smaller grip).
I see myself carrying the 200-600, 135GM and 50GM most of the time, 35GM will be the rare pick, Sigma 85 DG DN probably will stay mostly studio bound.

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 2.5 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Antonio Correia]

Afonso, post some shots please
Thanks !

 

[Reciprocum]

Interview with designers

 

[Reciprocum]

Afonso, post some shots please
Thanks !

At f1.2 even A1's e-shutter top speed of 1/32.000s was flashing me as insufficient ...
With an A7C (max 1/4.000s ) in these conditions one would have to stop down at least to f2.8 or use ND filters.

With your 7M3, even with ISO50, with max shutter of 1/8.000s you also will not be able to shoot wide open in a bright day outdoors. Your widest aperture (without using ND filters) would be f1.8 (today's 2pm conditions that you can assess since you live only 30km away).

EDIT: on tripod, manually focused on the center of the flower on the center of the frame. Light winds, flower not moving much.

f1.2

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.2
• 1/32000 sec
• ISO 100

f1.8

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.8
• 1/16000 sec
• ISO 100

f2.5

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/2.5
• 1/8000 sec
• ISO 100

f3.5

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/3.5
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 100

f5.0

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/5
• 1/1600 sec
• ISO 100

f7.1

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/800 sec
• ISO 100

f10

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/10
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Antonio Correia]

How nice of you Afonso, to take these shots !
Much appreciated !


Thank you so much !
Cheers !

 

[Reciprocum]

Sony issued a shipment delay notice

 

[Reciprocum]

This lens is a pleasure to use. I love the results I am getting. But it will be going to waste paired with bodies capable of max shutter speed of 1/8000 or less. For low light events I probably will prefer to use it with my 7M3 instead because of its superior high iso performance (if shutter noise is tolerable there ...)

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.6
• 1/12800 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Antonio Correia]

What a cute little girl !
And what a fantastic lens, Afonso !
Are you keeping it or not ?
Have a nice week-end
Cheers !

 

[Reciprocum]

What a cute little girl !
And what a fantastic lens, Afonso !
Are you keeping it or not ?
Have a nice week-end
Cheers !

Absolutely keeping both (the little girl and the lens)

 

[Antonio Correia]

I thought so...

 

[Paul stuart]

i will stick with my sigma art f1.4 and wait for the updated version ,as good as the sony is in real world applications the difference will not be obvious ,i do not need need f1.2 or super fast af motors on a 50mm ,and the old sigma beats it at sharpness by f5.6 which is useful for landscape applications.

 

[AlphaWorld]

I was surprised to see them in my local dealer on 1 May after that Shipping Delay message, but there they were. Tried out the lens they had for demo, and bought one.

It’s a good lens, with what little time I have had to try it out.

 

[Reciprocum]

Now that some kids attractions have reopened I had my first chance to use it in poorly lit indoors with some moderately fast action involved.
It performed flawlessly, AF kept up with all the action, could not find any frames out of focus, only blurred ones due to too slow shutter speed

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.2
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 800

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.2
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 800

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.2
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 800

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.2
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 500

 

[Antonio Correia]

Excellent lens indeed !
However, to be honest I don't like the second one.
Sorry !

 

[Reciprocum]

Excellent lens indeed !
However, o be honest I don't like the second one.
Sorry !

I included it not for aesthetic purposes but to illustrate how the A1/50GM combo could cope with challenging backlight situations mixed with action that intermittently blocks the light source.

 

[Reciprocum]

Another day, another action AF test (aced by the A1/50GM combo).

Wide open f1.2 (shallow DOF), bright sunny day (ss 1/16.000), moving subject at faster than walking pace. Every single one of the ~40 frames (4s long at 10fps e-Shutter) had the eyes in focus.

Would not even try this test with my Sigma 85mm DG DN (more than half would be out of focus), 7M3 would have forced me into iso50 because cannot do more than 1/8.000, 7Mc would force to stop down or use ND filters)

Amazing camera, amazing glass. Money well spent.

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.2
• 1/16000 sec
• ISO 100

Edit: another good shot with this amazing lens

• ILCE-1
• FE 50mm F1.2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/1.6
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 100